


While the Weary World Is Sleeping

by enigmaticblue



Series: Sun 'Verse [8]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-22
Updated: 2010-12-22
Packaged: 2017-10-13 23:13:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/142764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enigmaticblue/pseuds/enigmaticblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s a Winchester family Christmas for the first time in a long time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	While the Weary World Is Sleeping

**Author's Note:**

> Set during the Christmas of 2016. Title from the lullaby, “All Through the Night.”

“Are you looking forward to Christmas?” Howl asked as he cleared out a stall.

 

Sam frowned. “Christmas?”

 

“It’s coming up,” Howl replied, giving Sam a hard look. “Your brother and Cas put on quite the production.”

 

“Production?” Sam echoed. He knew he probably sounded like an idiot, but he couldn’t seem to help himself.

 

Howl stopped shoveling, leaning on his shovel. “Hell, Sam. Dean has half a dozen kids. Didn’t you two celebrate the holidays?”

 

“No, not really,” Sam said before he could help himself.

 

“Well, that’s changed some,” Howl drawled. “Your brother hasn’t warned you?”

 

Sam kept shoveling. “Maybe he didn’t know he had to. Dean tends to forget stuff like that. Shit. I’m going to have to get presents for the kids.”

 

“Lots of people around here make their presents,” Howl offered. “Or they trade for something. Not a lot of cash floating around here, you know.”

 

“I’m aware,” Sam said grimly. Most of his spare cash went to Dean anyway, and he hadn’t been out of Cypress Grove since he arrived, other than that fishing trip to White River.

 

Howl shook his head. “When was the last time you celebrated Christmas, son?”

 

Sam swallowed hard, blinking back the moisture in his good eye. “I had a girlfriend. We celebrated a little, but that was—that was before she died.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Howl said softly.

 

Sam shook his head. “Everybody lost somebody, you know?”

 

“And some of us lost more than others,” Howl replied.

 

Sam shrugged, trying to shake off that old grief and guilt. “Yeah. We had a—you couldn’t even call it a tree. It was more like a tree branch. You know the Charlie Brown Christmas?” When Howl nodded, Sam said, “It was like that. Laura was the one who wanted a tree, and we didn’t have a lot of money, but we…”

 

Sam stopped, remembering Laura’s laughing eyes as she threw cheap silver tinsel on the tree and on Sam indiscriminately. He’d had some good Christmases with Jess, but that holiday with Laura had been special. It had been one bright spot in an otherwise bleak existence.

 

“Sometimes, it doesn’t take a lot of money,” Howl observed.

 

“Sometimes it doesn’t,” Sam agreed.

 

Howl cleared his throat. “Well, Maryanne is always there. She doesn’t have any other family, you know. I’ll be there this year, and sometimes Julia and Aubrey are there, and on occasion, Pastor Joe shows up.”

 

Sam’s eyes went wide. “Seriously?”

 

Howl grinned. “You must have figured out by now that your brother collects strays.”

 

“Looks that way,” Sam muttered and got back to mucking out stalls.

 

~~~~~

 

Dean leaned against the doorjamb as he watched Cas fold laundry. “Has Sam seemed weird to you lately?”

 

“Weird how?” Cas asked, holding up a faded green t-shirt. “Yours or Ben’s?”

 

Dean moved closer to get a better look. “Mine. I think.”

 

“You both need new clothes,” Cas said.

 

“Put it on the list for the trip to town.” Dean sat down on the bed and began folding. “Seriously, Cas. Sam has been spooked for the last few days. He keeps staring off into space, and he’s been jumpy. You don’t think he’s getting ready to run, do you?”

 

“No, I don’t think he’s getting ready to run,” Cas said evenly. “I think he’s distracted. Have you said anything to him about Christmas?”

 

“Should I?”

 

Cas rolled his eyes. “Sam probably should have some idea what to expect, you know.”

 

“I don’t want to put any pressure on him,” Dean protested. “He doesn’t need to feel like he _has_ to do anything.”

 

“Then tell him that,” Cas said reasonably. “But give him fair warning. I doubt Sam has been celebrating Christmas with any kind of regularity, and he’s not prepared for the sort of chaos we have around here Christmas morning.”

 

“Do we know who’s coming?” Dean asked, changing the subject. “Besides Maryanne and Howl, of course.”

 

“Julia confirmed for her and Aubrey the other day, and Pastor Joe said he’d be here the last time I saw him,” Cas replied. “I asked him to check up on Casey’s brothers, too.”

 

Dean shook his head. “Poor kid. She thinks her dad is going to show up any time now.”

 

“I think she’s settled in nicely,” Cas replied. “She’s doing better than I expected at the beginning, anyway.”

 

Dean nodded. “We’ll make sure she has a decent Christmas at least.”

 

“It might be better than she’s had in a long time,” Cas said. “When did you want to take a trip?”

 

“Next weekend?” Dean suggested.

 

Cas shrugged. “I think we can arrange something. Maybe you should take Sam with you, and I’ll take care of the kids.”

 

Dean raised his eyebrows. “Seriously?”

 

“Seriously,” Cas replied. “It would give you time to bond.”

 

Dean rolled his eyes. “Bond?”

 

“Isn’t that what you call it?” Cas gave him a patently insincere smile. “Work out your remaining issues, buy gifts, and spend some time together.”

 

“Sam and I haven’t celebrated Christmas in years, Cas,” Dean protested. “The only reason I started was for Ben, and then the rest of the kids. Sam—”

 

“Sam deserves an opportunity to have a holiday just like the rest of us,” Cas replied placidly. “Talk to him, Dean.”

 

Dean shrugged. “Fine. I’ll talk to him. You okay for dinner? Think I’ll go spend some time in the barn.”

 

“I’ve got dinner covered,” Cas assured him.

 

Dean wanted a little time to clear his head, and he headed out to the barn and the Impala. She waited for him, just like she always did, gleaming just slightly in the thin, mid-afternoon light filtering into the barn.

 

Ben and Mary had gone run a couple of errands in town, and Dean had resolved not to ask too many questions about how long they’d been gone. The younger kids were finishing up their schoolwork and other chores, and Sam was still at Howl’s. Dean could polish the Impala and think in peace, which just didn’t happen often enough.

 

“Hey.”

 

Dean bit back a sigh and thought, _Of course._ All he said was, “Hey.”

 

Sam moved into Dean’s line-of-sight as he worked. “So, Howl told me that you guys celebrate Christmas in style.”

 

Dean thought about how distracted Sam had been and blurted out, “You’ve been trying to come up with ideas for Christmas presents?”

 

“Fuck, Dean. I can’t buy beer and porn for you anymore, and I have no idea what to get the kids. What the hell am I supposed to do?”

 

Dean sometimes thought that Cas was telepathic, because he saw this kind of crap coming long before Dean did. “Come Christmas shopping with me,” Dean invited.

 

When Dean glanced at Sam, his brother was staring at him. “Seriously?”

 

“Cas suggested it,” Dean admitted. “We make a run a few times per year for supplies we can’t get locally. This time of year, we get presents, too. None of the adults expect anything, but we get little things for the kids, things they can’t get any other time of the year.”

 

Sam shook his head. “Dean, you know I don’t have any cash. What I got from Howl—it’s not even going to come close to being enough.”

 

Dean reached into his inside jacket pocket for the envelope Howl had passed off to him two days before when they’d run into each other in town. “Yeah, about that… Howl said to give this to you when the time was right. I didn’t know what he meant at the time, but here it is.”

 

Sam peeked inside the envelope and his eyes went wide. “He can’t—”

 

“Don’t bother arguing with him,” Dean advised. “Howl and Maryanne are a lot alike—if they take a shine to you, they treat you like family, and that means giving gifts you can’t hope to repay.”

 

“He’s done enough for me,” Sam protested. “He didn’t need to do this.”

 

“My guess is that he knows you want to buy presents, and he’s going to make that happen,” Dean replied. “Take my suggestion and buy Howl a nice bottle of scotch when we’re in town. That’s all the thanks he’ll need.”

 

Sam nodded and tucked the envelope into his pocket. “Okay. Thanks.”

 

“Sorry I didn’t tell you about Christmas around here,” Dean said. “I just—I didn’t want you to feel like you had to do anything.”

 

“I’d have felt like a real jerk on Christmas morning if I didn’t have anything for the kids,” Sam shot back.

 

“And we would have put your name on whatever we gave them,” Dean argued.

 

Sam frowned. “Dean, if I’m going to be a part of this family, I’m going to participate fully.”

 

“Which is what your name on the packages would prove,” Dean said. “But this way, you can pick out your own gifts.”

 

Sam grimaced. “I have no idea what to give them.”

 

Dean laughed. “Join the club, Sam. We usually don’t figure that out until we get into town.”

 

~~~~~

 

Most mornings, Sam headed for Howl’s place right after breakfast, where he was learning the ins and outs of a mostly working ranch. Howl had been teaching him everything he knew about training dogs, and Sam—who had always loved dogs and had always resented not having one as a kid—was loving every minute.

 

Howl had willingly given him a few days off, however, and had dismissed Sam’s thanks for the money with a wave of his hand. “You earned it,” was all Howl would say. “You’ve been working like a dog—if you’ll pardon the expression.”

 

And so, Sam found himself heading to Sioux Falls to do Christmas shopping with Dean, leaving Cas to take care of the kids. The weather had been clear, with very little snow, and it looked to stay that way.

 

“You sure Cas doesn’t mind?” Sam asked as Dean slid behind the wheel of the Impala.

 

Dean laughed. “Are you kidding me? Cas hates going shopping, and we’ve got a shopping list from Maryanne to take care of for things she couldn’t get in Rapid City.”

 

“Does Maryanne ever leave Cypress Grove?”

 

“Sure, usually to get supplies, things she won’t trust to anyone else, and medications for the pharmacy.”

 

Sam raised his eyebrows. “I didn’t even know you guys had a doctor.”

 

“We’ve got a retired doctor, and a practicing surgeon three towns over,” Dean replied. “But Ernest’s wife was a nurse, and there are a couple of EMTs who also do road repair and snow removal, depending on the season. We make do.”

 

Sam nodded, memories of finding Laura on the floor of their bathroom swamping him. He wondered how things might have been different if they’d been around Dean and Cas. Sam knew that if he’d packed Laura up and gone to find Bobby, if he’d swallowed his pride and grief, and looked for Bobby—and found Dean—Laura might still be alive.

 

“You okay?” Dean asked softly.

 

“Just—remembering,” Sam managed. “No big deal.”

 

Dean focused on the road ahead. “The expression on your face doesn’t say no big deal.”

 

“I told you about Laura,” Sam said slowly. “Just thinking of how thing might have been if…I don’t know. If we’d been able to get help in time.” He cleared his throat. “My daughter would have been about three.”

 

“I know,” Dean said softly. “I remember, Sam.”

 

Sam stared out the window. “Howl asked me when I’d celebrated Christmas last, and that was when—the first Christmas Laura and I had together. She was excited, I wasn’t.”

 

“Kids have a way of changing that,” Dean admitted.

 

Sam nodded. “So, what about you? We never really did much, and Howl said you put on quite the show.”

 

Dean was silent for so long Sam thought he’d decided not to answer, but then Dean said, “You know that Lisa died that fall, and I was barely on my feet that Christmas. I have no idea what Cas did to get the painkillers I needed; I’ve never asked. So, I was high most of the time, and Bobby was sick. And Cas—Cas no idea about Christmas. Human holidays really aren’t anything an angel pays attention to, right?”

 

Sam made a sound that could be interpreted as agreement.

 

“So, Ben asks if we’re going to celebrate Christmas. Cas has no idea how to respond, and he asks me. Bobby was in a wheelchair, and I was in no shape to get a tree, so I sent Cas out with Ben and an ax to get a tree, and we dug up every ancient Christmas decoration Bobby had. It wasn’t much, but it was more than we had most years, you know?”

 

“Yeah, I know,” Sam replied. “The Christmas Laura and I had—we had a tree branch, some tinsel, and a few homemade ornaments. It was still one of the best holidays I’d ever had.”

 

Dean smiled. “Yeah, it’s like that, and it’s even better with kids around. Ben and Mary know that Santa doesn’t exist, and I’m pretty sure Henry knows the truth, but he doesn’t let on. And who knows what Casey believes? The little ones, though—Ryan and Cora—they don’t know. When they wake up on Christmas morning and see what Santa brought—well, you’ll see. It’s pretty amazing.”

 

Sam couldn’t imagine it; he couldn’t imagine what it would be like to wake up Christmas morning when half a dozen kids were waiting to see what showed up under the tree. Sam doesn’t remember believing in Santa, and their holidays were always pretty grim. There had been the Christmas when he’d given Dean the amulet, but otherwise, they had never expected much.

 

“I can’t imagine,” Sam finally said.

 

“Controlled chaos.” Dean sounded almost gleeful. “It’s always a good time.”

 

They exchanged stories the rest of the long drive to Sioux Falls. Sam hadn’t spent much time with Dean since they’d swapped life stories under the stars a couple of months ago. Then again, Sam suspected that Dean and Cas wouldn’t have gotten much time alone together if they weren’t sleeping in the same bed.

 

Sam felt something inside him relax and uncurl as Dean told him about the first few months after they’d gotten Ryan and Cora, and how he and Cas hadn’t slept the night through for months.

 

“Anyway, Maryanne showed up and chased us out,” Dean said. “We ended up sleeping in the barn that night just because we could, in the backseat of the Impala.”

 

Sam smirked. “Just like old times, huh?”

 

Dean snorted. “Are you kidding me? Cas and I didn’t do anything _but_ sleep that first night. We were too exhausted to do anything else.”

 

“And after that first night?”

 

Dean shrugged. “That would be telling, wouldn’t it?”

 

When they rolled into Sioux Falls, it was late, and Dean steered them to a motel. The manager recognized Dean right away, and she smiled broadly. “Dean Winchester! I thought I might be seeing you soon.”

 

“Good to see you, Trish,” Dean replied. “How’s business?”

 

“Just fine,” she replied. “And who’s this you’re with?”

 

“Trish, this is my brother, Sam. Sam, Trish.” Dean made the introductions quickly, but there was a note of pride in his voice that made Sam straighten his shoulders.

 

“Good to meet you,” Sam said, shaking her hand.

 

She loosened up a bit after Dean’s introduction. “Same here. Dean, I’ll give you a double for two nights. That work?”

 

Dean paid her for two nights, and in a few minutes, they were in their room. The two double beds brought back more memories—of a thousand nights spent in motel rooms, watching whatever happened to be on TV.

 

“Brings back memories, doesn’t it?” Dean asked.

 

“Something like that.” Sam set his duffel bag down by the bed farthest from the door. “Looks a little nicer than our usual haunts, though.”

 

“Trish runs a clean place. I know her from before.”

 

“Before when?”

 

“Before Bobby passed away.” Dean flopped down on the double bed closest to the door. “He and Trish were old friends.”

 

“I should have known,” Sam murmured. “You and Bobby—you have friends everywhere.”

 

“No other choice,” Dean replied evenly. “In this world, there’s no point going anywhere if you don’t have friends.”

 

Dean seemed to understand what he’d said when he added, “Sorry. I just meant that if you’ve got kids, having friends makes it easier.”

 

“I know what you meant,” Sam replied evenly. “And the truth is, I don’t have friends anywhere. Maybe in L.A., if I went back, but for the most part, I didn’t make friends. I had acquaintances, at best.”

 

“You’ve got friends now,” Dean said.

 

“You mean Howl?”

 

“Among others.” The silence that fell was comfortable, and Dean said, “Howl told you about his kids?”

 

“He has two,” Sam replied. “A son and a daughter. Jake’s in Pennsylvania and sends word when he can, and he hasn’t heard from Emily in years.”

 

“Howl’s been looking for someone he can pass his ranch off to. He asked his son,” Dean supplied before Sam could ask. “Jake said no way was he coming out. Emily’s disappeared. So, Howl probably figures you’re it.”

 

“Me?” Sam asked. “Are you serious?”

 

Dean moved his shoulders in the approximation of a shrug. “I guess we’ll see when we get down to it. Maybe he’ll decide he wants you to have his place, maybe he won’t.”

 

“He’s talked to you about it,” Sam said flatly.

 

“He asked if I thought Ben would be interested, but you’ve seen Ben around Scout. He wouldn’t care for the place the way Howl would want.”

 

Sam couldn’t argue with Dean’s assessment. “Ben isn’t a fan of animals?”

 

“He doesn’t have an affinity for them the way that Henry does,” Dean replied. “I’m still hoping that I can talk Henry into going into veterinary medicine. He’d be busy, and he’d always have a job.”

 

“Ben and Mary?” Sam asked. “What do you want for them?”

 

Dean smiled. “Whatever they want. I’ve been teaching Ben everything I know about engines, and Mary doesn’t seem to have much desire to go anywhere, so I guess we’ll see.”

 

“I guess we will,” Sam agreed. He doesn’t know what the future will bring; he doesn’t know what Ben and Mary will decide to do. He knows that he’ll do everything in his power to ensure that Dean’s kids have whatever they need.

 

“Thanks,” Dean said into the ensuing silence. “For everything you’ve done over the last months. It means a lot.”

 

Sam doesn’t know if Dean’s being honest, but he was willing to take Dean’s word for it. “Anything you need,” he said finally. “ _Anything_.”

 

Dean rolled his head to smile at Sam. “Thanks.”

 

~~~~~

 

The trip to Sioux Falls had been satisfying in a way Dean hadn’t expected. He and Sam had gone Christmas shopping—something they had never done. They had bought presents for the kids, for Cas, and then they’d split up to buy presents for each other. They’d even managed to check off everything on Maryanne’s list and they’d packed everything into the Impala.

 

On the way there, and on the way back, he and Sam had talked the way they hadn’t talked in years—frankly, and about subjects they hadn’t ever touched before.

 

When they arrived back at home, Sam’s eyebrows raised when no one came to greet them, and Dean grinned. “Cas would have taken them into town for the day. He knows we have to unload Christmas presents.”

 

“Let’s get it done, then.”

 

Sam helped Dean unload the car, securing the presents in the attic and padlocking the door behind them.

 

“Thanks,” Dean said, once they were clear.

 

Sam shrugged. “I should say the same thing. You made sure I had the right gifts.”

 

Dean smiled. “Always happy to help, Sam. You’re going to make a number of kids very happy Christmas morning.”

 

“That’s all I wanted,” Sam replied. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll get some sleep.”

 

“Go ahead,” Dean replied. “You earned it.”

 

With Cas and the kids gone, and Sam in the loft napping, the house was completely silent. Dean couldn’t remember the last time he’d had an afternoon to himself, and although the quiet felt a little eerie, Dean was as contented as he’d been in years.

 

Dean had his brother back; Sam was napping not a hundred yards away, and his kids and his partner would be home shortly.

 

Life didn’t get much better.

 

Dean found the notes Cas had left for him—a couple of folks in town wanted him to fix their cars, and Julia had confirmed that she and Aubrey would be by for Christmas dinner. Their resident schoolteacher and her son didn’t have any other family, and Aubrey got along well with Dean’s kids, so Dean was glad she’d be able to make it.

 

The final note indicated that Cas and the kids were visiting Maryanne in town and would be home before dinner, and Dean should start the chicken. And the kids wanted to get the tree after dinner, so Dean should get the ornaments down from the attic.

 

Dean read the notes and felt a big, stupid grin cross his face. He’d _missed_ Cas. They hadn’t been apart for more than a few hours at a time in _years_ , and as good as it had been to take the trip with Sam, Dean had missed Cas more than he could say.

 

He was singing as he lifted down the boxes of ornaments from the attic, a little rueful over not having done that while he and Sam were storing the presents. Dean was still humming as he pulled the chickens out of the fridge and started the oven. Cas might be the better cook, but Dean knew how to put together a meal when he had to.

 

Dean had just started cleaning and oiling his guns—something he didn’t have much opportunity for on any given day—when he heard the front door open.

 

“Papa Dean!” Cora hollered as she ran into the kitchen, flinging herself into Dean’s arms with unbridled affection. “Papa Dean, you’re home!”

 

“I’m home, munchkin,” he agreed, holding her tight for a moment before setting her on his knee. She wore the red wool coat Maryanne had made her, and her cheeks were pink from the cold. “Did you have fun with Cas?”

 

“We found mistletoe!” Cora squealed. “You have to kiss under it!”

 

Dean glanced up to see Cas leaning in the doorway to the kitchen. “You found mistletoe, huh?”

 

“Maryanne had some,” Cas admitted. “Not that we need an excuse. The other kids are outside. We’re going to look for a tree now if you want to come.”

 

“I wouldn’t miss it,” Dean replied.

 

“Where’s Sam?” Cas asked.

 

Dean shrugged. “Sleeping. It’s been a busy few days.” Setting Cora on her feet, Dean stood slowly, feeling his knee pop. He grinned as Cora slipped her hand in his. “So, the tree?”

 

It turned out that Ben had already gone up to check on Sam, so Sam accompanied them to the small grove a short hike away from the house. Dean had no idea if someone had planted all of the evergreens, but there had been a number of pines when they moved in, and he and Cas planted two trees for every one they chopped down. There might come a day when they would have to go a little farther afield, but Dean knew there would be at least one available this year.

 

In keeping with tradition, Casey picked out the tree. The first Christmas they’d gone out to find a tree, Ben had let Mary choose, because she was the newest member of the family. The next year, Henry had chosen, and then Ryan and Cora. And now, Casey chose, looking shy and uncertain but pleased.

 

Dean had no idea how well Casey would deal with the reality of being away from her dad and brothers for Christmas, but he hoped this helped—he hoped that she would feel like she was a part of the family.

 

They all took turns dragging the tree back to the house. Even Cora grabbed a branch, the red of her coat bright against the green of the pine needles. When she got tired, Sam swung her up to sit on his shoulders, and she squealed with delight.

 

There was just enough time to set up the tree in its stand before the chickens were ready, and Dean reveled in the noise, the relatively good-natured bickering, the way they all crowded around the table, bumping elbows and knees.

 

“Where are we going to hang the mistletoe?” Cora asked mid-dinner. By now, Dean was used to how she’d take an idea and hang on to it like a dog with a bone. She wouldn’t be happy until she knew the mistletoe was hung and someone had kissed under it, most likely.

 

“How about in the middle of the living room?” Cas suggested, and Dean suspected he’d chosen just that spot very carefully—easy enough to avoid if necessary, but easy to get caught there, too.

 

“Okay,” Cora said seriously. “Are you going to kiss Papa Dean?”

 

Cas smiled, his eyes bright with suppressed laughter. “We kiss all the time, Cora.”

 

“But it’s better with mistletoe, right?” she insisted.

 

Cas shrugged. “I wouldn’t know.”

 

“Well, someone ought to try it,” Ben said slyly, and Dean didn’t miss the way he glanced at Mary, or the way her cheeks went pink.

 

Henry grinned. “Maybe you should. You should kiss Mary!”

 

Dean had a pretty good idea that Henry had no idea how much Ben wanted to kiss Mary, or vice versa, and they both blushed. “Rule number one,” Dean said. “Nobody has to kiss anybody they don’t want to.”

 

The younger kids immediately began to protest, but both Ben and Mary shot Dean grateful looks, and Dean figured his job was well done.

 

He caught Sam’s eye at one point, and they grinned at each other, and Dean realized that Sam looked happy—maybe just as happy as Dean felt.

 

And that was pretty much the best gift of all.

 

~~~~~

 

Sam awoke early Christmas morning to the sound of tires crunching on the gravel drive, and he pushed himself out of bed with a frown.

 

“It’s just Maryanne,” Ben muttered from under a tangle of blankets. “She always comes early on Christmas morning.”

 

Ben showed no sign of rising, but Sam was awake, his curiosity piqued. He threw on a heavy sweatshirt and shoved his feet into his shoes, and headed for the house.

 

Maryanne was still unloading her car when Sam emerged from the barn, and he hurried over to help her. Christmas morning had dawned clear and cold, and while they weren’t going to have a white Christmas, travel to and from town was going to be a lot easier.

 

“Thank you, Sam,” she said briskly as he took a couple of bags and a large crock-pot from her. “Where’s that nephew of yours?”

 

“Still sleeping,” Sam said with a grin.

 

“Teenagers,” Maryanne replied knowingly. “Well, let’s get out of the cold. I imagine the little ones will be up shortly, and they’ll drag Ben out of bed.”

 

Dean and Cas were in the kitchen drinking coffee, looking sleepy and rumpled. They both grinned when Sam and Maryanne entered. “Put the packages under the tree, Sam,” Dean ordered. “And we’ll get breakfast going. I’m expecting the pitter-patter of little feet at any moment.”

 

Dean’s prediction turned out to be accurate. By the time Sam had finished putting Maryanne’s presents with the rest of the gifts under the tree, Ryan, Cora, Henry, and Casey were in the kitchen.

 

“Please, can we open presents now?” Henry begged. “ _Please_.”

 

“Mary and Ben aren’t here yet,” Dean said placidly. “You have to wait for them.”

 

“But Ben sleeps _forever_!” Ryan protested.

 

Sam saw the corners of Dean’s mouth twitch, and he knew that Dean was enjoying every minute of torture. “If you wait a little longer, Christmas lasts longer,” he replied.

 

Henry and Ryan heaved twin sighs. “No fair,” Henry muttered.

 

The girls had been fairly quiet during the discussion. Casey was rubbing her fingers along the wood grain of the table, her expression serious and a little sad. Cora had climbed into Dean’s lap, leaning against his shoulder contentedly. Maryanne and Cas were frying eggs, bacon and hash browns, working side-by-side with an ease that spoke of practice.

 

“Breakfast should be ready in about ten minutes,” Cas called.

 

Dean nodded and looked at the boys. “Tell you what. You get dressed, and put your shoes and coats on, and you can go wake Mary and Ben.”

 

They were off in a flash, and Sam could hear their feet pounding on the stairs, sounding more like a herd of elephants than a couple of little boys.

 

“Is it always like this?” Sam asked.

 

“More or less,” Dean admitted. “Although they had an easier time dragging Ben and Mary out of bed last year, since we were all under one roof. It’s a lot more fun for me this way, though.”

 

Maryanne _tsked_. “You torture those children, Dean.”

 

“Isn’t that a parent’s job?” Dean tossed back with a laugh. He glanced at Casey, and said, “Casey? You doing okay?”

 

Casey shrugged and didn’t look up. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

 

Sam exchanged a look with Dean and asked, “Dean, you remember that Christmas when you were fifteen?”

 

It took Dean a minute, but then he groaned. “Come on, Sam. We don’t have to talk about that.”

 

Casey perked up a bit at that. “Talk about what?”

 

“Oh, do share,” Maryanne prodded from her position by the stove.

 

Since Dean’s expression was more embarrassed than angry, Sam continued. “There was a girl Dean was trying to impress—one of the few who wouldn’t give him the time of day.”

 

“I was fifteen!” Dean protested.

 

“And very interested in her mind, I’m sure,” Cas murmured.

 

“Shut up,” Dean said.

 

“He was _very_ interested in something,” Sam agreed as though Dean hadn’t spoken. “And it just so happened that this particular girl’s family had a Christmas party every year.”

 

Dean slumped in his chair and gave Sam the evil eye. “I hate you right now.”

 

Sam grinned unrepentantly. “So, anyway, this girl gives Dean an invitation and tells him that everyone attending has to wear an ugly Christmas sweater.”

 

Maryanne began chuckling, while Cora asked, “What’s that?”

 

“An ugly Christmas sweater is something that no young man of fifteen would be caught dead in if he wasn’t trying to impress a girl,” Maryanne replied. “It’s a little hard to explain.”

 

Casey grinned. “My grandma made my brothers a few before she died.”

 

“We scoured the thrift stores in town looking for one,” Sam said. “Dean was determined to find one that was ugly, but not too ugly. What he didn’t know is that no one else was told to wear one, so he was the only one who showed up with a Rudolph the Reindeer sweater.”

 

Dean shrugged. “Yeah, but after she had a good laugh at me, I got to second base.”

 

Sam grinned. “And I got a picture that I managed to use for blackmail for the next five years.”

 

Sam heard the front door open, and Henry and Ryan ran into the kitchen. “They’re here! Can we open presents?” Henry asked.

 

“Breakfast first, then presents,” Cas decreed. “Take your coats off and sit down.”

 

Breakfast was even more chaotic than mealtimes usually were—the younger kids were eating so fast Sam was sure someone was going to choke. Ben and Dean, in contrast, ate even more slowly, just to drag things out. Sam kept grinning for no reason at all, and even Casey seemed to be getting into the spirit. By the time Dean finished his breakfast and pushed back from the table, the younger kids were vibrating with anticipation.

 

“Okay,” Dean announced. “ _Now_ you can open your presents.”

 

Henry and Ryan tumbled from their seats with a whoop, Casey and Cora not far behind. The next few minutes were sheer pandemonium as paper was ripped and boxes opened. Sam reveled in the pleased expression Henry wore as he ran his fingers over the slick pages of the atlas Sam had found, in Mary’s joy at the baking supplies he’d given her, Ben’s quiet gratitude at the new hunting knife, Cora’s excitement over her stuffed dog, Ryan’s grin at the new soccer ball, and Casey’s wide eyes when she saw the slingshot.

 

For the first time in a long time, Sam felt as though he really belonged somewhere, like he _fit_. He wasn’t running away; he wasn’t even running _to_ something.

 

He was right where he wanted to be.

 

~~~~~

 

Dean leaned back in his chair, feeling more than a little full. They’d had a crowd for dinner, but everyone had brought something. There had been more than enough food to go around, and Dean knew just how rare that often was.

 

He was content, and just a little buzzed on the homebrew Pastor Joe had brought along.

 

“You pulled out all the stops again, Dean,” Joe said, sitting in the rocker next to Dean. In his faded jeans and ratty sweater, he didn’t look very pastoral. “This is quite the Christmas.”

 

Dean shrugged. “Christmas is for kids.” He glanced around to make sure Casey wasn’t in earshot. “Have you found out anything about her brothers?”

 

Cas wandered over, shifting Dean’s bad leg so that it was stretched across his lap. His timing was impeccable as always. “Casey keeps watching the door,” Cas said in a low voice.

 

Joe winced. “I just got word this week that her brothers are with Dave Arnold, a ways north of here. I couldn’t get out there to check on them in person, but I made some discreet inquiries. Arnold’s got a farm, and word is, he’ll hire teenage boys with no questions asked as to where they came from. He works them hard, but he feeds them well, gives them an education, and when they’re ready to move on, he gives them money to get them started.”

 

“Then he wouldn’t take Casey because she was too young,” Cas observed.

 

“And he only takes boys. I was told it’s because he doesn’t want them getting frisky on his watch, and I can’t say as I blame him.” Joe shrugged. “I’ll head up that way in a couple of weeks for a personal visit, assuming the weather holds, but there isn’t anybody who would say a bad word about him.”

 

Dean let out a breath, relieved. “Good. It’s too bad Jones couldn’t send word to his daughter for Christmas, though.”

 

“Maybe it wasn’t possible,” Cas suggested.

 

Dean didn’t have much use for Jones, so he just took another drink.

 

“Maybe,” Joe said slowly. “I guess we’ll see.” He glanced over and said, “Looks like your boy caught someone under the mistletoe, Dean.”

 

Dean craned his neck to get a better look, somehow unsurprised to see Mary standing under the sprig, blushing furiously. Ben had stepped up, his expression shy, and as Dean watched, Ben kissed her tentatively.

 

It was just a chaste press of the lips, but when Ben drew back, Mary’s smile was so bright she glowed, and Ben looked incredibly pleased with himself.

 

Dean sighed. “I’m going to have to have the talk with them again.”

 

Joe grinned. “Better you than me.”

 

The party broke up fairly quickly after that. Sam walked Julia out to her car, and Dean realized that they’d spent most of the afternoon talking, which he thought might be good for Sam. Julia was a few years younger than him, but she was one of the few single women around. Maryanne, Howl, and Joe left soon thereafter, and the kids quickly wound down, exhausted after a long day.

 

Cas got the kids into bed while Dean locked up the house, and he stopped in the living room to look at the tree.

 

Every single ornament had a story—either one of the kids had made it, or someone had gifted it. The holidays and birthdays with his kids were everything Dean never had, and while he didn’t regret his childhood, he was glad to be able to give his own kids something different.

 

They had stability, and plenty of people who cared about them. They had a home and traditions and presents under the tree—even if they weren’t much.

 

Dean turned as the floorboards creaked behind him, and Cas stepped into the room. “You’re looking far too serious,” Cas observed.

 

Dean smiled. “No, not serious, just thinking. It’s been a good Christmas.”

 

Cas returned the smile. “It was good to have Sam here.”

 

“Yeah,” Dean agreed. “Really good.”

 

Cas glanced up. “I know something that would make Christmas even better.”

 

Dean realized he was standing right under the mistletoe, and he laughed. “Get over here, then.”

 

Cas’ lips were warm under his, Cas’ hands gripping Dean’s hips and pulling him in so their bodies were flush against each other.

 

Dean clutched him tighter; one hand tangling in Cas’ hair, the other splayed over Cas’ back, and this was good, too.

 

 This was _perfect_.


End file.
